Collapsible shipping-display unit



April 18, 1957 P. GOLDREICH ETAL 3,314,549

COLLAPSIBLE' SHIPPING-DISPLAY UNIT 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Aug. 24, 1964 @Mwww im z fan/f /fI/ef fray/eww.

April 18, 1967 P. GOLDREICH Em. 3,314,549

COLLAPSIBLE SHIPPING-DISPLAY UNIT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 24, 1964 m m w THS f. NP` A W mi f Nfl, f r 1i. fr 4 5r. w r. f. M m m4 3,3i4,5/i9 Patented Apr. 118, i967 tice 3,314,549 COLLAPSIEBLE SHIPPING-DISPLAY UNIT Paul Goldreich, 4445 N. )Farwell Ave., Milwaukee, Wis. 532:11, and Frank T. Fetherston, 6209 S. Highland Ave., Madison, Wis. 53705 Filed Aug. 24, i964, Ser. No. 391,405 6 Claims. (Cl. ill-432) This invention relates to a combination shipping and display assembly and particularly to a rack unit which is collapsible when empty for shipping purposes and which provides a free-standing floor display rack from which the goods may be readily removed.

Although the present invention may be employed to store, ship and display any suitable packaged merchandise, it is particularly adapted to the shipment and dis-play of bagged merchandise such as potato chips and similar products. Bag packaging has many advantages from the standpoint of cost and assembly. Individual cartons and other box devices, in a size for the usual customer, however are often employed because of the ability of stacking for display purposes in a manner which makes it readily accessible to the customer and particularly presentable for impulse purchasing in stores. However, even with the box package, a number of individual cartons are packed in cardboard shipping boxes or the like. The prior methods and devices thus generally require handling of the mer chandise into and from the shipping box as well as stacking and unstacking of the individual -boxes or bags into separate, special display units with the attendant handling expense and merchandise damage. Further, present clisplay assemblies normally are of a permanent or semipermanent nature forming a single unitized construction. They are not therefore adapted to ready placement and movement within the store.

Shipping expenses may be minimized slightly by reuse of the shipping boxes. However, cardboard shipping boxes are normally taped or stapled together and thus are not readily disassembled or collapsed to provide convenient shipment without substantial losses in boxes and time.

The present invention is particularly directed to a new and novel rack for housing of bagged, boxed or other individually packaged products during storage, shipment, display or any combination thereof. The rack is formed in a collapsible manner that when the products are removed, the device can be reduced to a compact, dat unit for return shipment. The products can be assembled by the manufacturer directly into the rack of the present invention and thereafter stored, shipped and displayed without further direct handling of the merchandise; minimizing handling costs, shipping costs and merchandise damage. Generally, the unit or rack of the present invention is preferably constructed to permit stacking of a plurality of the racks both during storage, shipment and actual sales display. This permits adjustment in accordance with the available height during storage, shipment and display. Further, the number of racks interconnected and arranged in adjacent relationship can be adjusted to the floor space available and in accordance with the products being sold.

enerally, the present invention includes a frame having front and back wall units pivotally interconnected to side wall units on a vertical axis to allow collapsing into a flat assembly. A base or bottom wall member is pivotally secured along the front or the back thereof to the adjacent wall member and is provided with suitable hook or securement members releasably interconnected to the bottom edge of the opposite wall member. Thus, with the walls unfolded to provide the desired coniiguration and with the bottom wall lowered into place, a rigid supporting rack structure is provided. The front and back wall units are generally open members except for vertically spaced supporting members at the bottom and top edges. The

supporting members are located to engage the top and bottom portions of the product being shipped, stored or displayed and hold them in place while allowing ready removal of the same products from the display rack.

The racks of the present invention are preferably adapted to be stacked in a stable, self-supporting assembly by depending leg members on the opposite side walls of the units which engage with suitable socket members on the corresponding side wall of an adjacent rack. The depending leg members also serve to support the bottom rack spaced from t-he floor area to provide a free standing floor display.

In a preferred construction of the present invention, the various wall structures are formed of a rod or wirelike member bent to form the desired edge or outer configuration and shape as well as suitable strengthening and supporting braces within the various wall structures.

The drawings furnished herewith illustrate a preferred method and apparatus for carrying out the present invention and clearly illustrate the several features and advantages noted above as well as others which will be clear to those skilled in the art of merchandising and the like.

In the drawings:

FIG. l is a perspective view of a pair of stacked racks constructed in accordance with the present invention and with a bagged product shown only in the lower rack for purposes of illustration;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational View of a single display rack constructed in accordance with the present invention with the bagged product shown in phantom;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a plan View of FIGS. 2 and 3 showing the bottom wall construction of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a partial illustration more clearly showing the interlocking of the dispay racks in the stacked relationship, as shown in FIG. l; and

FIG. 6 is a top view showing a display rack of the present invention in partially collapsed positions.

Referring to the drawings and particularly to FIG. 1, a pair of combined shipping, storage and display racks 1 and 2 is shown in stacked relation disposed on a suitable door 3 or other support area to form a free-standing display. ABags 4 which may contain potato chips or the like are carried by racks 1 and 2, although shown only in rack i for purposes of clearly illustrating the present invention. rPhe racks of the present invention may be constructed in any suitable sizes, in accordance with the product to be displayed and sold. For purposes of discussion, the racks are described in connection with the usual family size bag of potato chips. For example, portato chips are packaged in a family size bag of wax paper or the like which is generally ten inches in width, eighteen inches high and two to three inches deep. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the display racks 1 and 2 are each adapted to contain twelve of the bags 4; four deep and three across.

Generally, in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, each of the racks 1 and 2 is similarly constructed and rack 1 is shown in FIGS. 2-6, inclusive, to clearly illustrate the construction. The racks 1 and 2 are formed of an interconnecting wire or rod element of a suitable gauge to withstand a selected weight factor such as that met in stacking units in a warehouse for storage or during shipment. In actual practice, twenty or more racks may be stacked during storage and the strength requirements are therefore selected accordingly. The present invention has been constructed with a Chromed steel, heavy gauge wire suitable for stacking of the racks twenty high in a warehouse or the like. In a display for sales purposes, they may be stacked to any height depending yupon the acceptable selling methods.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 2,-4, inclusive, the illustrated rack of the invention includes similar front and back wall units 5 and 6 interconnected with similar side wall units 7 and 8 to form a rectangular enclosure for the bags 4. A base or bottom wall unit 9 is interconnected as hereinafter described to the bottom edges ofthe wall units 5 and 6 to support the bags 4 Within the corresponding rack 1 and to releasably hold the walls in the extended storage position. v

The front wall unit 5 shown in FIG. 2 and presently described has the corresponding elements of the back wall unit 6 similarly identified by similar primed numbers. Thus, the front wall unit 5 generally includes an outer continuous wire loop defining a rectilinear base rod member 1t) integrally formed with vertical side rod members 11 and 12 extending upwardly at 90 therefrom. A top rod member 13 is integrally extended from the side rod members 11 and 12 but is formed with a central recess o1" otfset portion 14. The side edges of the offset portion 14 are spaced inwardly from the side rod members 11 and 12 approximately one-sixth of the width of the total unit such that the portion 14 spans the central bag 4 and adjacent portions of the end bags 41V at the front wall unit 5, as most clearly shown in FIG. 1. A stop rod member 15 spans the front wall between the side wall rod members 11 and 12 and is welded at its opposite ends thereto. The rod merriber 15 is spaced upwardly from the rectilinear base member 1t) approximately one-sixth the depth of the bag products or the depth of the front wall unit 5. It provides a similar stop function to the lower or base portion of the bags and in cooperation with the recess portion of the top rod member 13 serves to firmly retain the bags i within the rack. They however readily allow removal of the bags i from the rack through the space between the rod members 13 and 15. This is particularly true with bag members which will normally have a top sealed portion which can be readily bent over to allow removal through the rack.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, suitable inverted U-shaped braces 16 are shown extending between the stop rod member 15 and the base rod member 1t) ir. the rfront and back wall units 5 and 6. Braces 16 are Welded to member 1th with the upper ends free to provide supports for advertising mats or the like. The placement of the top rod member 15 provides a very convenient display area for price, advertising display cards or the like which may be clipped thereto by braces 16 without interfering with merchandising of bags 4.

The side wall units 7 and 8 are also similarly constructed and the side wall unit 7 will be described in connection with lFIGS. 2 and 3, with corresponding elements in unit S identied by similar primed numbers.

The side wall unit generally includes three vertically spaced horizontal rod members y17, 18 and 19 welded or otherwise secured to the upstanding rod members of a U-shaped frame member 2.11. Member 17 is at the top position, member 1 is at an intermediate position, and member 19 is at the bottom position. The width of the member 20 is somewhat less than the total depth or width of the display rack 1 and the rods 17-19 extend laterally thereof and each end terminates in a similar eye hook 21 which is bent around the vertical or side rod member 11 or 12 of the front and back wall units 5 and 6. The rod 17 is thus pi-votally secured to the corresponding `front and back wall units S and 6 immediately below the respective top rod member `13:, rod 19 is pivotally secured to the corresponding front and back wall units 5 and 6 immediately above the base rod member 111, and rod member 18 is pivotally secured immediately above the stop rod member 15. Rod members 17 and 18 rest on the adjacent components of front and back wall -units 5 and 6 with top rod member 17 slightly below the plane of the top rod member 13 of the front and back units 5 and 6.

The U-shaped member 2o is located or interconnected `through the rods 17-19, inclusive, with the upper ends of the sides thereof in the plane of the rod 17. The sides i of member 20 converge to the base rod member 22 of member 2t) which is located or spaced below the bottom horizontal rod 19 and forms a depending leg for rack 1 which supports the bottom wall 9 of rack 1 in spaced relation to the oor 3.

The depending leg defined by the member 2i) is also adapted to cooperate with a U-shaped socket rod member 23 welded or otherwise secured to the top rod member 17 of side wall unit 7. Socket rod member 23 is generally a shallow channel-shaped member with the ends welded or otherwise secured to the top rod member 17 adjacent the upper ends of member 2d. Member 23 projects laterally outwardly therefrom to define, with member 17, a horizontal socket or opening adapted to receive the depending leg 22 of rack 2, as most clearly shown in FIGS. 1 and 5. The convergence of the sides of member 2G permits ease of stacking while maintaining a stable assembly.

A diagonal strengthening cross brace 24 is also shown spanning the corners of the U-shaped member 211 between the junction to the top rod member 17 and the intermediate rod member 1.

Thus, the side wall units 7 and S are pivotally joined to the front and back wall units 5 and 6 by eye hooks 21 and in the assembled or extended relation provide a rectangular enclosure for supporting the bags 4 in an upright 4position on the bottom wall unit 9.

The bottom wall unit 9, as most clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, includes a plurality of main cross rods 2S, shown as three, extending the width of the rack and interconnected as by welding or the like to a plurality of normal and laterally spaced rods 2o which extend `across the rods 2S and are welded or otherwise secured thereto. Selected ones of rods 26 project rearwardly therefrom with the rearward extensions terminating in eye hooks 27 looped about the base rod member 1i! of the back wall unit 6, similar to the connection of rod members 17-19 to the units 5 and 6. ln the illustrated embodiment, the hooks 27 are located in alignment with the depressed or offset portion 14 such that the base rod member 1d in a stacked assembly will rest upon the adjacent rod member 13. Selected ones of rods 26, shown as the end and center rods 2o, project forwardly and are bent downwardly as at Z3 to form depending legs adapted to hook over the base rod member 1@ of the front wall unit 5. Thus, with the side wall units 7 and extended normal to the front and back wall units 5 and e, a rectangular enclosure is provided corresponding to the bottom wall unit which is located in the horizontal plane of the respective wall units. The bottom wall unit 9 may thus be lowered and hooked over the rod member 111 to provide a laterally stable assembly within which the bags 4; may be supported.

When a rack; for example, rack 2, is empty, the rack may be removed and readily collapsed as shown in FIG. 7. The bottom wall unit 9 is readily pivoted upwardly about the eye hook connection provided by eye hooks 27 to lie adjacent what has been identified as the back wall unit 6. The side wall units 7 and 8 and the front wall unit 5 can then be collapsed, in the manner of a folding parallelogram, to provide a flat rectangular structure for easy storage and return shipment for return use.

Generally, the operation of the illustrated embodiment of the invention can be briefly summarized as follows.

The racks 1 and 2 are returned to the manufacturer in the collapsed position. When they are to be filled, they are extended to the supporting position as shown in FIGS. l-5 with the bottom wall unit 9 providing a rm interlock for supporting the vertical wall units in the lateral direction. The racks 1 and 2, along with other racks, will be iilled normally through the top open end and then stacked as shown in FIG. 1 to any desired height for storage, shipment or the like. rPhe stacking limitations will generally be the weight factor built into the assembly and the available ceiling height.

During sto-rage and shipment, it may be desirable to wrap a sheet of suitable paper or the like about each rack to more completely protect the product.` Such can be rapidly and conveniently done as part of a high production line at a very minimal cost.

For shipment, a plurality of the filled racks are directly stacked in the truck or other transfer device and similarly removed to storage areas of the store. The filled racks 1 and 2 are s-ubsequently stacked within the sales area to form direct display of the products.

The display or displays may be located in the best trac location for the merchandise being sold with the present racks which also have been found to substantially reduce the required floor space over the more conventional permanent racks employed in the grocery stores and the like. The cost of the displays constructed through the combined shipping, storage and display rack of the present invention will generally be less than conventional permarient assembly in addition to providing mobility, ease of handling and versatility of display. The handling of the individual packages or boxes is essentially eliminated and consequently the damage to the products and resulting loss is minimized. The display unit may thus be moved to a suitable high traffic location in accordance with the product being sold to promote impulse buying without any additional handling cost over and above that normally necessary to move the rack from storage.

The fully loaded display is also very easily and simply maintained by the store manager by simply removing an empty rack and replacing it with a full rack which as previously noted can be stored in the back of the store in a normal manner. The collapsed rack is not only readily stored in the store but provides a very convenient and compact manner for returning of the rack to the manufacturer for reassembly and use and further assembly for storage, transporting and sale of the goods.

Although a suitable structure has been shown formed from wire members, wire or rodlike members, obviously the present invention can be constructed of any other suitable material and with the several wall units formed in other congurations as long as the `basic concept of the present invention is maintained wherein a collapsible shipping unit is provided for readily handling of merchandise during the manufacture and the final purchase ofthe products. 'Ihe construction of the yunit from a suitable gauge wire minimizes the expense and cost of manufacturing the assembly as well as providing a very attractive and reliable display unit.

The present invention thus provides a highly improved rack particularly adapted for shipment, storage and display without handling of the individually packaged products during such movement.

Various modes of carrying out the invention are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as the invention.

We claim:

1. A collapsible rack adapted to store, ship and display a plurality of individually packaged products, cornprising side walls means pivotally interconnected to permit collapsing thereof to a flat storage and return unit and extending to define an enclosure for the packaged products, at least one of the wall means having an access opening means and including an outer top edge member with the central top portion thereof disposed inwardly in the plaire of the wall means and the lower portion of said wall means including a generally straight member, and a stop rod means spanning the wall means in spaced relation to the lower portion whereby a product is retained by the central top portion and the stop rod means and is removable therebetween,

a bottom wall means releasably secured to the lower end of the side wall means, and

interlock means on the bottom and top edges of the wall means for interlocking the racks in stacked relation.

2. A collapsible rack adapted to store, ship and display a plurality of individually packaged products comprising side wall means pivotally interconnected to permit collapsing thereof to a flat storage and return unit and extending to dene a generally rectangular open-top box for enclosure of packaged products, said wall means being formed of a plurality of Wire-like members with one pair of opposed wall means being similarly formed and including an outer top edge member with the central top portion thereof being bent inwardly in the plane of the wall means and the lower portion thereof being straight, and a stop rod member spanning the wall means in spaced relation to the lower portion whereby the product is retained by the central top portion and the stop rod member and is removable therebetween.

3. The rack of claim 2 wherein the opposite pair of opposed side wall members include,

horizontal mounting members pivotally connected to vertical portions of the outer edge member,

a U-shaped member secured to the mounting members and having a base portion disposed below the plane of the bottom wall means, and

a horizontally disposed U-shaped member mounted in the upper plane of the wall members and projecting laterally outwardly to define socket means for receiving the base portion of the first named U-shaped member of another rack.

4. A collapsible rack for storing, shipping and merchandising display of a bagged product employing bags of a selected width, depth and height, including similar front and back walls formed of a wire-like element and each of which includes a rectilinear base rod, side rods and a top rod in a common plane, said top rod having the .central portion bent inwardly in the common plane and spaced from the side rods a distance less than a `bag width, a stop rod parallel to the base rod and spaced upwardly therefrom with the distance between the central portion and the stop rod permitting removal of a bagged product therebetween.

similar side walls formed of wire-like elements and each including vertically spaced horizontal rods interconnected with U-shaped members having its base parallel to the horizontal rods, the ends of the horizontal rods being pivotally connected to the side rods of the front and back walls with the base rod of the U-shaped member disposed below the plane of the base rod of the front and back walls, each side wall including a horizontally offset rod secured in the top plane thereof and in alignment with the depending leg portion to define a socket corresponding to the configuration of the leg portion, and

a bottom 'wall formed of wirelike elements including some elements pivotally attached to one base rod to pivotally secure the bottom wall in place and some elements releasably attached to the other base rod whereby said rack may be collapsed to a generally flat unit or extended to a generally stable self-supporting box-like unit for single or stacked assembly with similar racks.

5. A collapsible rack for storing, shipping and merchandising display of a bagged product employing bags of a selected width, depth and height, including similar front and back walls, each of which includes an outer, continuous rod member having a rectilinear base rod and side rods and a top rod having a central portion bent inwardly and spaced from the side rods a distance less than a bag width and having a stop rod parallel to the base rod and spaced upwardly therefrom, the width of the front and back walls being a multiple of the width of a bag and the heights of the walls substantially corresponding to bag height,

similar side walls of a depth which is a multiple of the bag depth, each side wall including a series of spaced horizontal rods interconnected to a U-shaped member having its base parallel to the horizontal rods, the ends of the horizontal rods being bent about the side rods of the front and back walls with the base rod of the U-shaped member disposed bethe height of the walls substantially corresponding to bag height,

similar side walls of a depth which is a multiple of the bag depth, each wall including a series of spaced horizontal rods interconnected with U-shaped members having its base parallel to the horizontal rods, the ends of the horizontal rods being bent about the side rods of the front and back walls Iwith the base rod of the U-shaped member disposed below the low the plane of the base rod ofthe front and back 10 tplane of the base rod of the front and back wall, wall, each side wall including a horizontally eX- each side wall including a horizontally extended tended U5haped rod Secured t0 the top horizontal U-shaped rod secured to the top horizontal rod and rod and projecting outwardly in alignment with the projecting outwardly in alignment with the `dependdependent leg portion, and ing leg portion, and

a bottom wall formed of peripendicularly intersecting 15 a `bottom wall formed of Perpelldclllfly iflefSeCing rods some of which have eye portions bent about the rOdS 50H1@ 0f WhCh hVe @Ye POTOHS bent bOUf base rod of the back wall to pivotally secure the the base rod of the back wall to pivotally secure the bottom Wall in place and some of which extend bottom wall in place and some of which extend yforforwardly to overlie the base rod 0f the from Wah 'wardly to overlie the base rod of the front wall and and depend downwardly to form an attachment depend downwardly to form an attachment hook,

hook, whereby said rack may -be collapsed to a generally at unit or extended to a generally stable selfsupporting box-like unit for single support or stacked assembly 'with similar racks.

whereby said rack may be collapsed to a generally flat unit or extended to a generally stable .self-supporting box-like unit for single or stacked assembly 'with similar racks.

6. A collapsible rack for storing, shipping and merchandising display of a bagged product employing bags of a selected width, depth and height, including similar front and back walls, each of which includes References Cited hy the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS an outer, continuous rod loop having a rectilinear 1890743 12/193-2 Murphy 10869 ibase rod and side rods and a top rod having a cenhapory 2256142 tral ortion bent 'n rdl d c d t Verl p Wa yan 8pm from he de 2,935,332 5/1961 Frederick 22o- 6 rods a distance less than a bag width and having a stop rod parallel to the base rod and spaced upwardly therefrom, the width of the front and back walls being a multiple of the width of a bag and LAURE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

K. I. WINGERT, Assistant Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,314,549 April 18, 1967 Paul Goldrech et al.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 3, line S6, and Column 4, line 2l, for "l", each occurrence, read 18 column 8, line 4, after "each" insert side Signed and sealed this 14th day of November 1967.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD J. BRENNER Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer 

1. A COLLAPSIBLE RACK ADAPTED TO STORE, SHIP AND DISPLAY A PLURALITY OF INDIVIDUALLY PACKAGED PRODUCTS, COMPRISING SIDE WALLS MEANS PIVOTALLY INTERCONNECTED TO PERMIT COLLAPSING THEREOF TO A FLAT STORAGE AND RETURN UNIT AND EXTENDING TO DEFINE AN ENCLOSURE FOR THE PACKAGED PRODUCTS, AT LEAST ONE OF THE WALL MEANS HAVING AN ACCESS OPENING MEANS AND INCLUDING AN OUTER TOP EDGE MEMBER WITH THE CENTRAL TOP PORTION THEREOF DISPOSED INWARDLY IN THE PLANE OF THE WALL MEANS AND THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID WALL MEANS INCLUDING A GENERALLY STRAIGHT MEMBER, AND A STOP ROD MEANS SPANNING THE WALL MEANS IN SPACED RELATION TO THE LOWER PORTION WHEREBY A PRODUCT IS RETAINED BY THE CENTRAL TOP PORTION AND THE STOP ROD MEANS AND IS REMOVABLE THEREBETWEEN, A BOTTOM WALL MEANS RELEASABLY SECURED TO THE LOWER END OF THE SIDE WALL MEANS, AND INTERLOCK MEANS ON THE BOTTOM AND TOP EDGES OF THE WALL MEANS FOR INTERLOCKING THE RACKS IN STACKED RELATION. 